A Murder of Crows
by matiwariat
Summary: A split second is all it took to make a difference. He did not manage to cast the spell. The cup did not come flying towards him. He did not escape.
1. Die a Hero

**A Murder of Crows.**

**By Matiwariat**

**Chapter 1: Die a Hero...**

"_Bone of the father, unwillingly given."..._

"_Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed."..._

"_Blood of the enemy... Forcibly taken."..._

"Let go! Sweetheart, you are ready. Let go. Let go!" And Harry did without even thinking because something told him that even if those... ghosts, apparitions, that looked like his parents were not real it was still the best course of action. As soon as the link between the wands broke he lunged for Cedric's body.

"Nooo! You are not getting away..." He tried to ignore Voldemort's shouts as his mind focused on casting a single spell, the incantation was just about to leave his mouth before an invisible force smashed the tombstone and in turn him, flinging Harry a couple meters further. Pain coursed through his body as he hit the ground. As darkness started to overtake him, harry could hear a faint voice of someone standing over him.

"I said you would die tonight but... I came up with a better idea..."

-x-x-x-x-

Albus Dumbledore sighed deeply as he looked on ahead with an empty stare. His office was quiet, only the soft rustle of Fawkes' breathing could be heard. His mind was somewhere else right now, wandering about his greatest failure up to date. Through his foolishness he lost Harry Potter, the boy who he swore to himself to protect was now dead or in the hands of Voldemort. That was a thought that scared him, the dark lord was back. Alive and at full power as if nothing happened. Severus had confirmed it that night... his dark mark reappeared in full force after lingering just near the surface for nearly a year. Now it was too late to do anything and with no proof the ministry would not lift a finger. For the moment it was 'only' a case of two champions missing after the conclusion of the final task of the Triwizard tournament.

When he felt something wet travel down his face he lifted his hand shakily to rub it away. It was a tear, something he did not see in years. The great Albus Dumbledore was crying. How could he ever forgive himself...

-x-x-x-x-

Harry groaned in pain as he forced his eyes to open only to see nothing but darkness. His body was stiff and cold. He tried moving every limb to see if they were broken but stopped that idea when blood boiling pain shot through the wound on his arm. Getting up was also a no go as his head still felt hazy and light, probably from blood loss. Hitting the ground that hard did not help either. It was then that some light entered as a door to the room he was locked up in was opened. It was also then that Harry actually realised the situation he was in. He did not get away, he did not summon the cup and got captured... by Voldemort. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not see the figure standing over him until it was too late. The dark lord did not appreciate being ignored.

"Crucio!" The excruciating pain was just as bad as before, maybe even worse. The dark wizard did not let go of the spell as Harry screamed his lungs out while writhing on the floor, instead he smiled as if the experience brought pure and genuine pleasure from the pain of the teenager in front of him. Revenge was truly sweet but this also had another purpose. Voldemort had came up with a great idea while standing over the unconscious body of the boy who lived just after he prevented his escape. Wouldn't it be his greatest achievement if he turned the great Harry Potter into an obedient servant, just as dark and twisted as any of his other followers. Seeing that the boy was about to pass out he mercifully stopped the torture spell. His lips turned into a cruel sneer. "I see that I've got your attention now Harry..."

Even if Harry wanted to answer he could not, his mind clouded with pain as ever single part of his felt as if it was set on fire. He could only continue to blankly stare ahead, towards the line of light that peeked through the open doors as it was the only thing he could focus on but it seemed that the dark lord saw it in a different way.

"...I see. Well then, Crucio!"

-x-x-x-x-

The whole hall was quiet as the students read the newest issue of the Daily Prophet. Whether it was their own or if they had to lean over to a friend every single one of them saw the quite striking title printed in large bold letters on the front page. It announced what everyone else already knew, Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory were missing and the ministry had no idea where to even begin the search. The best theory, based on what little evidence found, said that the cup was a portkey but it would be at least another month before the magic that lingered back inside the maze was fully researched and identified where the supposed portkey had led to. To many students this was fascinating and exciting in certain ways. To those who knew the two missing students it hurt to not see them at the table right now but it was the closest friends who were hurt the most. That was why Hermione had not come down for breakfast this morning and why Ron had not even touched any of the eggs or sausages.

At the teachers table one could see Minerva McGonagall glaring daggers at the potions master of Hogwarts. She knew that Severus and Albus had at least an idea of what happened, of where Harry was but neither would tell her. How did they expect her to just sit there while one of her lions was missing? Severus had no idea what to think about all of this. One side of him was celebrating the fact that the walking proof of his failures, the son of the man who made his life hell and stole the love of his life, was now gone. The other side, no matter how small, could not help but worry as to what the dark lord did with Lily's son. He was certain that Potter was or still is with Voldemort and there was nothing he could do, at least for now. Sooner or later he would be called to his side and his and Albus' little plan would start.

-x-x-x-x-

The pain to which Harry got so used to stopped as suddenly as it begun, just like every time it happened. He could see how a person could go crazy from experiencing the cruciatus over and over and part of him wondered how long it would take him to succumb to madness.

"You still cling onto your beliefs Harry when all I require is for you to bow to me. All this pain could stop... just like that." When Harry gave no answer Voldemort was tempted to continue with the crucio curse but saw that it would not do. He had to take on a new approach. Over the time he spent on trying to break the boy he had frequently looked into his mind. Their connection was quite deep, the killing curse linking both of them together, and he had learned of Potter's fears and hopes, dreams and nightmares. His deepest thoughts were just a step away. It wouldn't be long until he had what he wanted. "Well maybe I should bring you up to speed on the happenings outside of this little room of yours, seeing as you are stuck in here." Harry could feel the delight in Voldemort's tone. "It seems like your friends have abandoned you, it's been two months now and the search for you has been called off... well not exactly but, hmh. I think I will let you see for yourself." At this he threw something at Harry's feet and walked out of the room and closing the doors behind him. Now though there was some light in the room as a tiny window in the top of the room was opened from the outside. It was too small to escape and too high up to look outside but at least it wasn't completely dark on the inside now.

Harry slowly and with considerable effort moved his arms to grab the object laying in front of him. The feeling after all the time he spent in here was quite foreign but after a moment he realised it was a newspaper. His head quickly cleared and he unrolled it, revealing an issue of the daily prophet. Comparing the issue date and the date of the last task it seemed like Voldemort was telling the truth, it has been two months. Harry's eyes moved to the large print on the front page. What he saw shocked him and made his situation that much worse, even if he didn't show it on the outside.

"_The Auror department had reported this morning that the body of one of missing champions, Cedric Diggory, was found at an unnamed location. Cause of death has been confirmed to have been the killing curse. While no information was given on the identity of the killer as of yet we at the Daily Prophet have discovered that the main suspect is the other missing champion and the Boy-who-lived, Harry Potter. Continued on page 2. For more on the Triwizard tournament turn to page 4. More on Harry Potter, The-boy-who-killed on page 6." _

His grip on the paper tightened and his knuckled turned white from the pressure. As if some pent up anger has finally been released. He expected to be sad, even more depressed than he had been since his capture but instead found himself to be mad. Enraged at the wizarding world which could not see that it wasn't him, infuriated at those who he expected to find him and help him yet didn't, furious at himself for being so weak. With whatever strength he had left he threw the paper against the wall, the moving picture of Cedric, that damn paper decided to use on the front, continued to smile up mockingly at him. Almost blaming him for everything. Harry closed his eyes in an attempt to calm down but it did not help, not at all. Instead he saw images of his friends and family. They switched from being dead, horribly murdered right in front of him to being perfectly happy... without him. Meanwhile in another room the dark lord smiled and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of anger and betrayal radiating from the boy. Soon it would all be over. Soon he would be standing over the bodies of his fallen enemies, as the others ran at his sight. All the while their little saviour was in his total control.

"Yes, it will be a glorious day..."

* * *

This is another experimental piece. Depending on how it is received will have a say in what place it takes on the priority list. This will be a Dark!Harry story, it might turn into the horror genre and Evil!Harry at some point depending on how I take it but I'm trying to actively stop myself from the cliche 'all friends have abandoned me and Dumbledore stole all my money'. Hopefully I will achieve what I set out to do. As for those who are interested in pairings, I have no idea really... none of the Hp universe girls really fit my plot here so if anyone has any ideas of girls/women from other books/games/movies etc that would fit the world and are not op then let me know and I will look around. Overall it's not a priority.

As for those who are waiting on my other fics. The last journey update should be arriving before Friday as the recent announcement has spurred on my excitement and new ideas popped into my head. As for the Arctic fox all I need to do is sit down and write so I hope to have a chapter for Monday[next week] at the latest.


	2. Or become the villain

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 2: ...or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.**

"He suspects you are back my Lord but he has no evidence other than what I tell him. There is nothing he can do with no proof." Voldemort nodded again as he listened to one of his deatheaters, Severus Snape, relay new information from within Hogwarts. Everything was going just as planned. Rumours were spreading, fear creeping back into the minds of the people but no one knew anything yet.

"Good job Severus. Stay with the old fool for now. You know what to tell him... you may go." With another deep bow the potions master twirled around on the spot and stalked out of the room. Voldemort tapped his fingers against the wooden armrest of his seat as he thought of his next step. The boy was so close to breaking. Their last punishment session together with another enlightening talk seemed to work better than he had expected. Young Harry was very open to listening about the wizarding world, how it needed to be reborn from the ashes and for that to happen it had to burn down first. It seemed that deep inside the boy had no love for the muggle or the wizarding world. Voldemort stopped walking as he saw that his thoughts brought him to the doors he was just looking for. Just one little push.

-x-x-x-x-

"He is keeping a prisoner, that I do know for sure but no one knows who it might be." Snape said from his spot in front of Dumbledore's desk. He had just arrived at Hogwarts and the headmaster immediately requested to speak with him. He was tired of this double play but he had to do it, he had to keep going.

"I see. I trust that you searched both the house and the minds of the inhabitants thoroughly?" The headmaster said as he took another one of his lemon drops. Snape stayed silent for a few very long seconds before answering.

"Yes, as much as I could without raising suspicion but I still found nothing."

"And could it be possible that it is Harry that is his prisoner." The room went dead silent. Even the portraits stood still to listen in on the conversation.

"Yes..."

-x-x-x-x-

As soon as He entered the room he had to use magic to push the now rabid boy back. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the sight in front of him. When he had last seen him the boy was half unconscious on the floor, still twitching from the crucio curse but now he had somehow found the strength to attack him for the first time. Harry was now standing up in the same filthy clothes he has been wearing for however long he had spent in this blasted place. His whole body was shaking slightly as his hands desperately clawed into the brick wall, trying to keep him up. As soon as his head turned back towards the only other person in the room he felt his legs go weak as an invisible force smashed into his head.

This wasn't the first time Voldemort had done this but it would probably be the last time it was 'needed'. Before the boy had fought back, tried to keep him out but now this broken realm was fully in his hands to mould into whatever he wanted it to be. As soon as the spell ended he saw Harry stumble a step forward, his face covered in cold sweat. This was the moment; he could see it in the boy's eyes. Another step forward and he dropped to his knees. Head bowed forward with his arms hanging limply at his sides.

"...M-my Lord..." A giant smile spread on the dark wizard's face, one filled equally filled with a sense of achievement as well as malice, quite fitting all things considered. Without saying anything he turned around and walked out of the room. He stopped just before the doors.

"Be in the main chamber in twenty minutes. Do not be late." He finished with an amused tone before leaving, this time letting the doors stay open for the first time. Harry stayed motionless, still on his knees, while waiting for something. He had no idea what it was but he felt that he needed to wait. Soon his unspoken question was answered as a stack of black clothes, on top of it a skull like mask made of what seemed like silver. He always assumed that the food was brought in by house elves and this was probably no different but now it wasn't the time to think about this, his master expected to see him soon. Pulling the hood over his head he grabbed the mask and walked out of walls that were his prison for so long.

The halls looked familiar, as if the layout of the place was already in his mind therefore getting to his destination was quite easy. All the eyes were drawn to the new presence in the room. All the present were the closest and highest in rank to Voldemort and soon they would see a new recruit join their ranks. Voldemort himself was sitting there with nothing showing on his face, except for the unmistakable glee in his snake like eyes. The new arrival dropped to a knee as the dark lord stood up and walked towards him. With his wand he wished the mask and the hood away and while none of the others showed any surprise on the outside one could hear a few sharp breaths and some murmurs. Snape's eyes only widened for a second before returning to normal, it would not do for him to draw attention to himself but the truth still shocked him. At least know they knew where Potter was though that did not change how bad the situation was.

"My friends, we are gathered here today to see a new member be inducted into our ranks... Harry, hold out your arm." The boy pulled back his sleeve and held out his arm without question. Slowly the bone white wand touched Harry's arm and a burning sensation slowly spread throughout his body. The pain was on the levels of the cruciatus he has experienced before but the feeling was unlike any other. When the pressed in even farther he opened his mouth to scream but no sound left his mouth. Then it all stopped. Harry gasped for breath as he tried to grab the burning spot only for his hand to be shoved away. Voldemort released a sinister laugh as he saw the snake writhe around the skull on Harry Potter's arm.

"Now that Harry here is one of us I believe he needs to be tested..." He motioned with his arm towards the large wooden doors that were the main entrance to the room. Wormtail immediately ran outside and as Harry turned he saw a bound man be brought in. The man was old; he was swaying as he stood in the spot Wormtail left him. His eyes were barely open and he looked as if he was about to die from exhaustion. Harry felt Voldemort stand just behind him as he slipped his old wand back into his hand. He could feel the power flow and return to him, a feeling he missed so much.

"You know the spell Harry..." The words were nothing more than a whisper on the wind but they rang through Harry's head. Slowly he lifted his arm and as the spell gathered just at the tip of his wand the man looked him straight in the eyes. Harry felt nothing though and the man saw nothing in the boy's eyes. The next thing he saw was a flash of light, the same striking green colour as the boy's eyes.

"Avada Kedavra!"

-x-x-x-x-

Dumbledore slumped even farther in his seat as he heard the news. Snape had arrived later than normal from his meeting with Voldemort and barged into his office. It started out well, Harry was found and that was great news but things went downhill as Snape continued. The ending of the story brought him to an all time low as heard of what Harry did; the poor boy was forced to do something that no man should ever have to do. To kill an innocent man. The worst part was that this was only a beginning. He put his head in his hands as he wondered on what to do now. At least the prophecy was safe and he still had to deal with Umbridge and what the ministry was trying to do after the failure that the Triwizard tournament was.

"Fawkes my friend... What am I supposed to do?"

* * *

Hmh so far its getting nice views all things considered. Especially since the first chapter was uploaded at a horrible time. The chapters will be quite short really as I try to write them in an hour or two so I in the end I will be able to hopefully upload more and faster. until next time. Also leave reviews, I don't know about other writers but I love reviews. They tend to be very motivating.


	3. Broken and fixed

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 3: Broken and fixed.**

The storm reigning outside seemed as if it would never stop but for all he knew it was his inability to account for the amount of time which has passed between things that happened. Hours turned into days, days into weeks and weeks into months.

The room was empty, except for the necessities, and so watching the rain was the only thing he could really do. Not that he cared about doing anything, not after his master had cleared his mind of obstacles, cleared of the unimportant things that made him less than he could be- than he was now.

Harry blinked when lightning struck outside, the light reflecting his face in the old, wooden framed window and just for a second he stared into his own eyes as they really were at the moment- caught unaware and in the moment. They were empty, so empty... but he did not care at all.

-x-x-x-x-

"Harry I have a task for you..." Voldemort spoke to his kneeling servant. Finally his searches paid off and his plans were coming to fruition, it was just this one small piece of the puzzle that was missing. Harry stayed silent; he knew to speak only when spoken to especially when it came to his master. "Nagini will lead you and small band of my other followers to the depths of the department of mysteries where you are to retrieve a particular object... a prophecy." Harry seemed to contemplate his assignment for a second before quickly finding a missing detail. Slowly he lifted his head up, still kneeling on one knee.

"How will I Identify the object?" Voldemort smiled gleefully enjoying the light feeling of power of holding this over his servant and in the end nearly laughed as he answered.

"It has your name on it of course..." The smile was gone instantly and the grip on his wand tightened enough for his hand to turn nearly to the bone white colour of the handle. "Now go... and remember what the price for failure is." Harry did not even flinch at his master's tone. Instead he stood up and turned around with a swish of his cloak before walking out of the room, Nagini trailing right after him at her master's command.

-x-x-x-x-

It seemed that it was the middle of winter as the place Nagini had led them to was covered by a thick blanket of snow and it only made sense for one part of the country in snow while the other was being drowned in rain. Harry's grip on his wand tightened as a cold wind blew past them. He shook off the feeling lightly before focusing his eyes on the snake. Nagini was already slithering in the snow and towards the entrance that they could use.

-x-x-x-x-

In the end it didn't take long to stalk down to the department of mysteries. The place looked as if it was abandoned but seeing as it was close to christmas it made some sense, now they would only have to ensure that anyone who stayed did not live long enough to speak of their presence. He could feel that the deadly silence was in some way disturbing to the death eaters behind him and it only proved that they were here as cannon fodder in case something went wrong. His master trusted him especially since he could see through his or Nagini's eyes.

The hall of the prophecy seemed to awaken a curious feeling inside of him, something that rarely happened these days. The thousands of small glass globes of twirling smoke illuminated the room enough for the light to peer even inside his mask. The possible futures of so many people all gathered and monitored in this single room.

Slowly the group of four, including the snake walked down the only way along the shelves until Nagini finally started to slow down her movements. She stopped completely and hissed something that only Harry could understand. As Harry moved to search the shelf, numbered three hundred and forty one, the other death eaters moved into a defensive position just in case. Minutes slowly passed as Harry looked at each of the small paper tags, one after the other, around the area Nagini had pointed out. Then he finally found it. It was no different than the others except for the fact that his name and the title of his master were written on the tag. He straightened out and held the glass ball in front of his face as if seeking the see the future himself. The longer he stared the more the clearer it became, images started forming and Harry could swear he could hear a whisper of a voice coming from the ball. That was when a flash of light was fired within his peripheral vision. Quickly he hid the glass orb inside his robes and spun around towards the source of the spell, wand tightly gripped in his hand.

"Stupefy!" Harry ducked his head lightly as he heard the shout and saw the jet of scarlet light hit one of his 'guards' right in the chest. In between the shouts of stunners, shields and curses Harry could make out footsteps, more and more of them every second. He could run and no one would fault him for it as his task was done but these fools that called themselves death eaters yet could not defeat some blood traitors... they would be captured... and they would talk. He couldn't let that happen. Mustering what little hate or anger he could he aimed his wand at the three who were still locked in their fights.

"Avada Kedavra." The three bodies hit the floor in synch with his swish of the three green streaks of light. The opposing forces seemed to stop for a moment possibly confused as to why a death eater had just killed his own before they resumed their attack. Harry was about to turn and portkey out when he found himself at wand point. Looking up at the wizard he found himself looking at the face of none other than Arthur Weasley. As their eyes met the man seemed confused for a few seconds before his eyes widened.

"...Harry?" His voice was shaky as the words left his mouth. There was no mistaking the eyes and the wand only confirmed it but it was a hard fact to swallow. Arthur was about to reach out to the boy with his free hand when a hissing sound reached him from behind him.

"_Now Nagini!" _His head whipped back to Harry, who just spoke in a similar hissing sound, before his body crumpled down to the floor. Harry didn't bother to check if he was dead or not as the others were about to reach him right about now. Quickly he took out the escape portkey in the form of a small silver band and just as Nagini wrapped part of herself around his leg the band activated- leaving behind only four bodies and a missing prophecy.

-x-x-x-x-

There were not many things he held dislike for and those he hated were even fewer in number but magical form of travel was one of them. No matter how convenient they always left him face first in the ground. This time it was ankle deep mud outside his master's current staying place. His robes were stained again but it was nothing that those blasted house elves could not fix. He would have ran to deliver the prophecy to his master already if not for this feeling inside him. He was curious. For some reason something inside was telling him to see what was captured inside the cloudy glass orb.

Just as before the ball fit just right in the palm of his hand. It was strangely warm to the touch but Harry completely ignored that and instead focused on the swirling cloud of smoke inside the glass ball. They slowly cleared just like before and in some ways it reminded him of a pensieve. The voices were hushed until one moment when the woman seemed to fall into some sort of a trance. Harry could swear he remembered seeing her once before but his memory seemed to fail him at the moment. That was when the woman started speaking.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..." When she finished Harry peeled his eyes away from the prophecy record he held in his hands. The words of what he assumed was the prophecy ringing in his mind over and over. He felt as if they were supposed to mean something to him, as if they were supposed to be important to the point of being life changing but to him they were nothing. He quickly stashed the orb back inside his robes and walked towards the front doors of the ran-down house. He couldn't make his lord wait more than he did already.


	4. Madness, meet insanity

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 4: Madness, meet insanity.**

This was not a Christmas any of them had expected. The family of redheads silently sat around the table at the Black family home. The grim and old feeling of the place did nothing to raise their spirits especially since the head of the Weasley family was missing. Arthur had not died in the attack on the hall of prophecy but that did not mean his injuries were not serious. Now the whole family was forced to stay here, in the house of black, for their own protection while Arthur was sleeping alone in St. Mungo's. The death eater who was responsible had managed to escape together with the object that was being guarded there in the first place. As far as the conflict between light and dark side was, the order was at a disadvantage. First Harry was lost, now Arthur was brought to near death and their apparent greatest weapon against You-know-who was lost...

A loud weep coming from the Weasley matriarch broke the silence which had gripped all the occupants of the room. The redheaded twins quickly gave up on jokes and pranks in their tries to lighten the mood over the past few days. Sirius was in pieces, this was worse than any vision of the future his mind had come up. This was supposed the first happy Christmas he would have spent with his godson... and now he did not even know if he was still alive.

-x-x-x-x-

"How is it that you knew nothing about this Severus?" Snape stood there unflinching despite Dumbledore's accusatory tone. A tone that Dumbledore rarely used. In this case though it seemed to hold as much suspicion as it did tiredness and weariness.

"I've told you before Albus! Potter is becoming more and more powerful and as that continues Voldemort started to make him his right hand on the field. My only task right now is to spy on you, nothing more..." Albus had never looked older than he did now. He dropped to his seat and anyone would be able to see that he was fighting away the will to sleep. As he looked up to answer back he seemed to lose his speech. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he finally gave up. Severus sighed before sitting in a seat himself and grabbing the nearest open bottle of 'something that looked like alcohol'. It seemed to be plain old firewhiskey but it would be good enough for now. "...Not all news are bad though." At this the old Headmaster seemed to immediately perk up as if a second wind had entered him. Any good news at the moment was like a bright light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

"What is it Severus?" Snape downed his glass in one go before he spoke.

"The dark lord is thinking of making a move soon. Something big is coming up. If you want to get potter back then perhaps that would be good time. He will be distracted then." Albus nodded and was already planning and thinking of all the thousands possibilities that could occur. "There is one thing you should know... the boy you knew, he no longer exists." Albus looked up just as Snape gripped his arm at the point where the dark mark was located before standing and up and walking out of the office without even a goodbye. Dumbledore was now left alone to his thinking. That was the first time Severus spoke about Harry without even a bit of malice, it seemed that even he had a heart... and Harry; Voldemort had the prophecy now and if Harry was still alive now it meant that he would remain so. Still Severus' words worried him greatly. It seemed that his efforts to make Harry life easier had an exact opposite effect.

-x-x-x-x-

As Voldemort gazed upon the followers gathered before him he realized how few forces he had remaining. That was the reason for their next move. An assault on the impenetrable jail of Azkaban was that move. Many of his loyal followers would become free and join his ranks again and a breakout from the jail which was supposed to be inescapable would only divide the magical society further than it was now. It was becoming too easy. Voldemort's eyes hardened as he thought of Dumbledore. The meddlesome old fool would surely come in at last the last second to try to save the world and he just would not stand that. His thoughts went back to a weapon he heard off, a weapon befitting only a wizard like him. Soon, soon he could start his search but for now he would wait.

"Welcome, tonight will be a spectacular night as many of your brothers and sisters will rejoin our ranks. You know your task, do not fail me..."

-x-x-x-x-

The rocky coasts of Azkaban were assaulted over and over by the seemingly never ending storm. The insane screams and wails of those within were drowned out by the noises of the sea and maybe it was for the better, at least the aurors working inside thought so. They had to guard the prisoners as much as the dementors and if they didn't have to listen to either all the time the better.

Some distance away a group of cloaked figures stood on a rocky outcrop. All of them except for one were masked. As lightning struck the black walls of Azkaban the light reflected to reveal the one person. Harry Potter was not wearing a mask this night. It would make no difference if anyone saw him tonight; it would only reinforce the idea that he was the public enemy number one and push away the thoughts of Voldemort's re-emergence.

Harry gripped the shoulder of the death eater beside him. His apparition skills were still not up to where he wanted them to be. He closed his eyes and ignored the horrible feeling in his stomach as his feet touched something hard again. The wind blew past and as he looked back he saw that the others had blasted a hole in the side of the building to get inside. Then he felt it. The chilling cold creeping deep inside into his soul; gripping it tightly as if trying to extract the last juices out of it. His grip tightened around his wand and on instinct he wanted to bring it up, to try to cast a patronus, but he knew it would not work. He had tried before and not even mist was conjured out his wand. The doors to the room opened and skeletal hands appeared, gripping tightly onto the metal frame, followed by the hooded head of the dementor. It seemed to look all of them over before disappearing down the corridor to hunt down one of the aurors.

For a few seconds the stunned silence reigned before hushed whispers broke out. All were amazed by the fact that once again their lord had gotten the dementors onto their side. The next seconds they started to push on into the highest level security sector of the prison, Harry walking in the lead. The instructions his master has given him were still very vivid in his mind. Free all those loyal to him, kill anyone who would stand in their way. So far they encountered only three aurors who were still alive, somehow managing to survive the dementors. The last thing they saw was a flash of green. Slowly the group started to break off as some members stayed behind to work on the locks in their assigned cells. Harry was about to take another step towards his stop when a hand landed on his shoulder and held him back.

"Severus? Don't you have to work on your prisoner?" Snape's jaw tightened underneath his mask but he refrained from speaking as he looked into the green eyes of the boy before him. They really were just like hers but... but so empty. In that moment he didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Quickly he lifted his hand and watched as Potter left without a word.

Harry walked on for a few more minutes until he reached a particular cell which could be identified by the surely insane screams. Screams not of pain but of glee. It seemed that she already knew that they were coming, she had felt the call. He straightened out in front of the cell doors and aimed at the lock.

"Alohamora." As suspected the spell didn't work. The lock was obviously heavily protected but he had to try anyway. Taking a few steps back, until his back was touching the opposite wall, Harry aimed his wand again but this time it wasn't at the lock but in the general direction of the doors.

"Bombarda maxima." There was no real strength behind his tone of voice but there certainly was behind the actual spell as the explosion was felt by the aurors still trying to repel the dementors downstairs. Harry waved his arm around a few times to clear the dust in front of him and walked towards the huge hole that replaced the door and about half of the cell wall that surrounded it. The rubble crumbled and cracked under his feet as he walked inside into the cell where a single figure was huddling in the corner.

"Bellatrix." Her neck should've snapped at the speed it moved to look at the source of the voice. Her shivering stopped instantly and a maniacal smile found its way onto her face, adding onto the image of a psychotic killer together with the wild hair, torn clothes and an insane glint in her eyes. She looked confused for a moment before her searching eyes found the scar on Harry's forehead. That was when she threw her head back and cackled.

"Potter, you were the last person I had expected to see here."


	5. Changing hands

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 5: Changing hands.**

Petunia looked up from the dishes again as the damn birds outside chattered and seemed to cackle between themselves. It was disturbing in a way, the three magpies have been sitting on that hedge the whole day and it seemed that they would stay there for the night...

"Three for a funeral..." She muttered as her bony fingers clasped themselves tightly around one of the pans. She just could not shake off the feeling that something would happen tonight and despite not knowing what it would be it still made her shiver. Petunia jumped and dropped the plate into the sink when a hand landed on her shoulder. It was Vernon and he seemed to be concerned but she just waved him off with a fake smile. "I'm just thinking about that dinner tomorrow, we need to make a good impression." That seemed to be enough as he nodded and left leaving her with the dishes and the birds... of which there was only one left. Petunia shook her head to clear her thoughts and tried to listen in to the news Vernon had just put on the telly.

-x-x-x-x-

A group of figures appeared with a muffled pop in the middle of Privet drive. One of them raised his wand and the road lamps around them slowly started to crackle before bursting in a shower of sparks and shards of glass, leaving that area of the street bathed in darkness.

"Potter, are you sure this is the spot?" One of the masked men asked, his hair was his only identifying feature and its length and state showed the many years he had spent in Azkaban.

"Yes." Was Harry's short reply. His mind was in an overdrive, trying to sort through all the images and memories that suddenly assaulted him when they arrived. Everything he saw before him seemed to bring memories back and none of them were pleasant. It only made him remember why hated those muggles.

Quickly the group split towards the surrounding houses but Harry's eyes were focused only on the one in front of him, the one with a number four written on the front doors. His step faltered for a second when in the corner of his eyes he saw Bellatrix kick in the doors of one of the other houses with a mad laugh. He on the other hand entered the house quietly. He could hear his own breathing as he closed the door behind him and he could barely see anything before him except for when a faint flash of green illuminated the house through the front windows. He walked up the stairs, automatically skipping the always creaking first step and as he stood in the corridor that led to all the bedrooms he knew that this was his time. This would be the moment he got his revenge for all those years of misery. He already knew what he would do.

Harry stood in the door frame and through the darkness could see the sleeping figure of his cousin. As he stood over him with his wand drawn he knew he could end it here with just two words but he had a better plan. A very weak stunner was enough to give him the five minutes he needed. Next he conjured some weak ropes and after binding the pig he levitated him out of the room and towards the main bedroom. Inside he placed Dudley down on the small stool which stood by Petunia's dresser. Another spell and the bound pig was awake, it didn't take long for him to start screaming.

Both Petunia and Vernon snapped up with wide eyes at the sound of the desperate pleas of their son but both froze as they saw the cloaked figure. That is until Vernon's eyes found the wand. His face turned many shades of purple and red and Harry could see the signs of him swelling up with anger. He saw the twitch in Vernon's hand and without even thinking he brought his wand up.

"Crucio." The word felt strange on his tongue yet it was so easy to say. He had tried it before when his master was instructing him on the use of different spells so he could serve better but the cruciatus never really worked. It required hate, real and pure and deep, concentrated hatred that one had to muster and he was unable to do so. Wishing someone dead for whatever reason and seeing them in unimaginable pain were very much different.

Petunia screamed at the same time her husband has started to scream. She did so from fear while he did it in pain. When Harry released the spell Vernon's body slumped down onto the bed completely unmoving.

"Why..." Petunia managed to say between her cries as she tried to shake her husband awake. She got no answer, only a sense of barely restrained fury coming from the cloaked man. She shrunk down immediately when she tried to look at his face and only managed to see a metal mask.

Harry's mind was spinning, the deep hidden voice screamed at him to stop, that they were not worth it but another part of him was delighted, overjoyed in the screams and cries and the fear in their eyes. That was why it was so easy to raise his wand again and finish off his so called uncle. Only Petunia seemed to realize the meaning behind the green flash as she started to cry harder than before, choking back sobs and rocking lightly while her hands tried to grasp at her husband. Slowly Harry walked around the bad and lightly sat on the bed.

"Petunia..." The woman was startled when she heard a voice so near her and scrambled away from the man who just murdered her husband. Slowly his hand rose to his face and slipped the mask off revealing the empty green eyes, the tired looking demeanour and something no one had seen on Harry for a very long time; a smile. "You wanted to know why..." Still in shock over seeing the identity of the cloaked wizard Petunia was unable to dodge the hand that shot out for her throat.

Harry's grip was tight around her throat. He held her in place but did not try to choke her. He needed her to look him in the eyes.

"I will show you why..." He had gained many gifts from his master; knowledge of dark spells, a hold on emotions, mastery over snakes and Voldemort's nearly unbeatable ability to invade the minds of others. That was why he was easily able to force his way into the mind of his aunt and in what seemed like hours he handpicked from his memories the emotions and images he wanted to plant as hers. To make her see, to allow her to feel what he felt even if it was merely a fraction of what they did to him.

He blinked again and left her mind before looking at her face. She had a particular look in her eyes, they were unfocused as if she just realised something groundbreaking. Harry stood and straightened his robes; he still had to deal with his cousin, but as he turned around Petunia managed to speak.

"Harry...I am..." He swirled around on the spot, his face contorted in rage. How dare she say that after everything... Harry did not let her finish. The killing curse was not enough though. For a long time he had wished her a long and painful death.

"Diffindo!" The white streak went straight for her throat and Harry looked on as she hopelessly tried to cover the wound with her hands while blood stained the bed sheets a deep crimson colour. He saw a few last tears leak from her eyes before her hands slowly went limp and dropped beside her. The only sound remaining in the room were the quiet sobs of Dudley. He didn't seem to even notice as Harry moved beside him and only blankly stared at his dead parents. Harry considered his options before for a second before his shoulders tightened. He brought his free hand up and placed it on Dudley's shoulder in a mockery of empathy. There was nothing else left for him here.

-x-x-x-x-

As he closed the doors behind him he saw that a few of the houses were on fire while the others were about to be on fire or otherwise destroyed. It seems that after all those years of being closed up in Azkaban they did not lose their touch. He stood in the middle of the street and watched as Bellatrix unleashed a fiendfyre. As the roaring, billowing noise filled the air the flames took shape in front of her and took on the form of a giant serpent who, just like its creator would, lunged at the nearest flammable object with mad glee. Bellatrix was more than happy to let the fire beast go to do as it wished.

Harry turned his head when he heard a scream. An old woman had ran out of her house screaming, hands full of what looked like kittens. He took his aim and released the killing curse, not even bothering to watch if it hit its target. The explosion though warranted enough of his attention. The woman was still alive, although now she was laying flat on the perfectly cut grass lawn in front of her house. Harry had no real external reaction when he saw Albus Dumbledore standing about twenty meters from him. Instead he brought his wand up into the air.

"Morsmordre." He looked up at the sky in time to see the snake go through the mouth of the skull. When his eyes went back down he had to take a step back. Pop after pop more witches and wizards appeared everywhere around him and went straight after the death eaters. As spells filled the air around him Harry could not break the eye contact with Dumbledore and he had no idea why. He saw the old wizard raise his wand and immediately raised his shield but he stood no chance. The last thing he felt was the light feeling of freefall as the stunner knocked him off his feet and rendered him unconscious just before he hit the ground.

-x-x-x-x-

Many miles away Voldemort shifted on his throne as he swirled the wine inside the glass he was holding. He had seen everything through the eyes of his most trusted servant. That old fool had intervened again it seemed but most of the death eaters he had sent with Harry had came back. The Dark lord scoffed lightly into his glass before his lips turned into a smirk as he took a sip of the wine.


	6. Looking for what?

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 6: Looking for what?**

"Albus, is it true? Did you bring him back?" Minerva McGonagall wanted to believe. For the past year she was kicking herself down with guilt over losing one of her lions. Dumbledore pushed his glasses up his nose as he looked over the group of people sitting in front of him at the moment. They all were gathered at twelve Grimmauld Place, mere hours after the death eater attack on Privet drive.

"He is here but I am afraid he is not the same as we remember him to be." They all wanted to ask what he meant by that answer but his eyes told them that he would not, could not, say anything more at the moment. Despite all of that they still had a reason to celebrate in a way. Harry potter was back with them and the order had captured some of the death eaters. It was a small success but it would have to do for now. As the people slowly left the house to return to their duties they carries a sliver of hope, hope that things could still get better.

Sirius was leaning against the door frame of the kitchen, he had stayed silent the whole meeting. He still could not believe that his godson was back and for some reason could not get himself to walk up the stairs and to the room they placed him in to at least try to talk to him. Dumbledore gave him a nod on his way out and Remus squeezed his shoulder when he saw his hesitation.

Walking up the stairs seemed to take forever and the feeling to turn around and go back to fixing and cleaning the house was stronger than ever. Sirius sighed and ran his hand over his face as he reached the top of the staircase, now he only had to traverse three more floors up to where his room was located. On the way up Sirius stopped by to check on Buckbeak who was doing just fine but at least it gave him an excuse to delay everything just a bit more.

Finally the Azkaban escapee found himself in front the door which led to Harry. His eyes locked onto the name plate fixed on the doors. 'R.A.B'. The room belonged to his younger brother... but he was long gone now, this wasn't the time to think about that. He pushed the door open and it was easier than he thought it would be but he froze up when he finally saw his godson. Harry was sitting on the single wooden chair in the room, which he had moved close to the window, and was looking outside. Sirius couldn't see his face and assumed that he wanted to leave, that whatever brain washing Voldemort had done was trying to force Harry to escape but he had no idea how far from truth that was. Slowly he walked into the room and cringed every time the wooden floor creaked under his steps and did not notice that Harry didn't react at all.

"Harry?" In his mind he scolded himself for sounding so weak. All those years he held strong for this boy and now when he was really needed he just could not do it. He was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! He would not, could not, back away right now when he was knee deep in the situation anyway.

All that would have been fine if not for the complete lack of a response from Harry.

"Harry." This time his voice was louder and it seemed to work as Harry slowly turned his head enough to look at his godfather. Sirius' heart nearly broke when he looked him in the eyes. If James and lily were alive they would have killed him for letting their son get to this state. "How...How are you doing? Are you alright?" It sounded stupid but he could not come up with anything else to say. What could one say in a situation like this?

Harry stared at him for a few seconds and Sirius started to fearfully think that maybe Harry did not remember who he was but then Harry nodded and went back to watching the outside. Sirius closed his mouth and his jaw clenched in frustration but it was at least a step forward. He hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on Harry's shoulder with a reassuring grip.

"I will go get you some food... I... my brother's clothes should fit you for now. Your trunk should arrive here in a few days." Sirius stopped and turned to look at Harry again when he reached the door. "Just remember... remember that you are not alone Harry." Harry would not have had a chance to respond as the doors closed shut and clicked, notifying him that they were locked, nearly immediately after Sirius finished speaking. He took a second look around the room he was closed in; green and silver was the main theme placed over the old aristocratic feeling the whole house seemed to hold. He looked down at his robes and saw that they were in fact thorn and dirty and if changing into clean ones would make them bother him less then he would do it.

The wardrobe was filled with clothes and items that were stacked and packed in tightly as if someone had collected them and tried to hide them away. He pushed through them until he found something that was in a good enough state since all the contents of the wardrobe seemed to be at least twenty years old. Even he could see the much different style on the shirts and trousers. After getting fully dressed Harry started to put things back inside, trying to stack them in a way similar to how he found them, until a small locket dropped out of one of the jackets and clinked against the wooden floor. Harry looked down at it and after a short moment decided to pick it up. As soon as his hand touched the silver a warm feeling spread through his fingers and went up all the way to his scar. Something told him to take the locket and keep it hidden but unlike the voice he had heard before it did not sound concerned or helpful, instead it was commanding and so sure of itself. He took a shaky breath in and quickly hid the locket inside his left trousers pocket.

It took Harry a few minutes in front of the window to fully compose himself and even then he still did not know why the locket made him feel so... uneasy and yet so familiar and in some way comforting. Despite that he did not take it out of his pocket and instead focused on watching the trees sway in the wind on the other side of the street.

The door scraped open again and Sirius stashed away a mental note to fix those hinges. He pushed them fully open while trying to balance the food tray with his other hand.

His eyes widened slightly when he saw Harry again. Memories of his brother rushed back to the front of his mind but he quickly pushed them away and walked up to his godson. He tried to smile as he left the food in front of Harry but got nothing in return. His shoulders slouched lightly as he walked back to the door. He froze just as his hand closed on the door knob.

"Thank you Sirius." The smile would probably rip his face apart but he didn't care. It would also prove too many that he was probably just as crazy as the rest of his blasted family but again; he did not care. He leaned back against the corridor wall and took a few deep breaths. Maybe Harry was not all gone; maybe he could get his godson back.

-x-x-x-x-

"How did he react to losing Harry?" Albus asked as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth. He did not think that anything could break his good mood today but he did become slightly confused as he listened to Severus' answer.

"He was far calmer than I had expected of him. He treated the death eaters that came back as if they failed a simple task instead of losing one of his, debatably, biggest advantages in the coming war." Dumbledore sighed, it did not make sense. Voldemort should have been enraged and livid about losing Harry especially since he knew what the prophecy contained. "He seems to be far more concerned about a new 'project' of his." Snape grimaced at Dumbledore's raised eyebrow. He had won one fight and was now behaving as if he had won the war. "I don't know what it is. None of us do as he left the manor by himself and as far as I know he has not come back yet." Dumbledore stood up from his seat and walked to the window, completely ignoring the many pairs of eyes following his every move.

"What are you looking for Tom?" He turned his head back in time to see Snape stand up to leave. Just before the potion's master left the headmaster's office he spoke something that made Albus' thoughts take on a darker route.

"Look out for Potter. You checked his wand yourself. You saw what he did firsthand. Do not put all your trust and hopes into one boy." And perhaps Severus was right but how could he believe in winning over Voldemort if he could not believe in Harry potter?

**NOTE:** The updates might slow down again as I will have much less time to write again but then again writing a chapter of this is much easier than writing a chapter for my other stories. Keep the reviews coming and have a good day.

Mat


	7. Remember, remember

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 7: Remember, remember.**

Albus frowned lightly as he followed Sirius Black up the stairs to see someone he had considered, in some strange way, to be family. After all was over and done and after dear Minerva had been through with him Albus had realised many things. Many shortcomings of his that in many ways contradicted his deep concern for Harry. In many ways that muggle family he had left the boy with were the source of a lot of their problems, not all as he felt as guilty as they should have for making Harry suffer so much...

'_I'm telling you Albus! They are the worst kind of muggles...' _Minerva's words would forever be stuck in his mind. Truthfully the aged headmaster felt ashamed at the feeling of relief that he felt every time he thought that Harry would not have to stay with them ever again. Ashamed that he never did anything and in the end Harry took his own revenge and travelled deeper down the dark path he tried to shield him from.

Sirius was always open and impulsive in many ways and it showed as he stared in fascination at Dumbledore. They had reached Harry's room about a minute ago but the leader of the light was in such deep thought that he seemed not to notice where they were. It was rare to catch him out of his normal, all knowing and ever wise, disposition. Maybe under all those robes and grey hair he was just as human as they all were instead of the god and saviour of the wizarding world that many considered him to be.

"Dumbledore, we're here." Immediately the creases on his face softened and the frown was replaced by a gentle and ambiguous smile while the twinkle in his eyes could probably put anyone at peace.

"Anything that I should know off?" Communications through the floo network were cut as short as possible, they were protected but one could never know. In the end Albus trusted Sirius to care for Harry by himself until they decided that he was ready for the Weasleys to move into Grimmauld place. Sirius sighed lightly and rubbed his face with one hand. In many ways there was both so much and so little to say.

"He still answers with only a few words and very rarely and no matter what I do his face is still blank as if he was... was dead inside." Sirius twitched as if stung as the words left his mouth and his eyes moved to the door, not daring to look at Dumbledore. "But he has been leaving his room. The first week he just sat there but after that he started to explore the house little by little. Sometimes he helps me with Buckbeak." Dumbledore's smile widened by a fraction, a small success was still a success.

"How did he react to getting his things back?" He had sent one of the Hogwarts' elves with Harry's trunk at the end of the first week. Perhaps retrieval of his personal belongings somehow helped him? Sirius' answer though made the blood run cold in his veins again.

"He burned it..." His voice was low and he followed up quickly to answer the questions that would surely come soon. "He took out James' cloak, our map and something that looked like a photo album before he burned everything else and before you ask. No, I did not give him his wand or borrow him mine." He shuffled on the spot under the intense stare Albus was giving him. Finally the aged wizard relented and put his hand on the door handle, pressed down and pushed the door open with the same creak that Sirius had gotten used to since Harry's arrival.

The room, to many, would look as if it was untouched by a living soul in years. Everything had its place and was not moved without need. Quickly Albus realized that this was not because of an overbearing need to clean and put everything in order but because the occupant of the room did not really use it. Harry was sitting in the same chair that Sirius had told him about, the leftover belongings he had saved were neatly stashed on top of the bed stand. Slowly he approached Harry and sat on the bed while Sirius stayed behind and watched while leaning against the door frame.

"Hello Harry, It is good to see you again." Albus tried to start off with a friendly tone but got no response. He sighed and shook his head, he had seen enough of damaged people and minds to know that he wouldn't get anything back like this. If he could at least make Harry look into his eyes so he could read even the surface thoughts. "I see that your trunk isn't here anymore. Your godfather told me what happened to it." Albus could feel that Sirius was trying to glare holes in him right now but he had to know. Harry stayed silent and just when Dumbledore was about to lose hope the floor made a sound as Harry shifted his weight lightly. Slowly his head turned just enough to catch a glimpse of his eyes.

"They weren't mine." His eyes were just as hollow and empty as he had seen them last yet the word held a certain edge to them. It was only a couple seconds but it was enough for him to filter through Harry's surface thoughts to know why all the clothes were burned. Harry was right, they were not his. They belonged to Dudley, one of the few survivors of the tragedy at Privet drive, or to Harry Potter but Severus was right. That boy he knew no longer existed. Dumbledore slowly stood up and walked back to Sirius before taking a last glance at Harry and leaving the room. He could not stand to see this, not again. This wasn't the first time he saw someone in this kind of state.

'_Frank, Alice... I haven't visited them in a long time...'_

-x-x-x-x-

Ron's hands tightened around the edges of the Prophet. The paper crumpled under the tension and would have probably been torn apart or thrown across the main hall of Hogwarts if not for Fred and George quick reactions. Slowly Ron released a shuddering breath and released the paper before twisting his wrists out of the twin's hold. At least no one had noticed his little outburst as the hall was filled with hushed whispers and looks that switched between fear and amazement. Looking down he saw the reason for all this again. The cover of the Daily Prophet displayed Harry Potter's newest picture, one taken during the tournament last year, as well as a memory portrait taken from the memories of some witnesses or _survivors_.

Ron looked up again at the empty spot across from him. Hermione wasn't here, again. He knew she was crying and it brought up his anger again. Why was it that every time she cried it was for Harry, never because of him. She still held onto hope, one which he had lost a long time ago. He knew he wasn't the best friend but he tried. As he looked into the green eyes of Harry Potter he swore to himself. He would hurt him; for making Hermione cry, for all the hurt he had brought to both wizards and muggles and finally- for killing his best mate.


	8. Mirror

**A Murder of Crows.**

**Chapter 8: Mirror**

The noise was getting louder and louder and that in turn made it harder to just turn over and dive back into the land of dreams, especially for someone with very light sleeping habits. He had to thank Azkaban for that, the dementors could arrive at any moment and it was easier to prepare yourself if you were actually awake when they got to you. A muffled bang echoed through the hollow halls. That was when Sirius finally had enough. He threw his covers away, stood up and dressed quickly. He had to make sure the damned elf wasn't doing something for his 'mistress'.

It didn't take long to find the source of the noises and it was, to Sirius' surprise, the kitchen. A string of curses and shouts died in his throat as he stepped through the door frame and took a look around. The room actually looked clean and that... that blasted elf was cooking. He was doing it with such delight that one could think that Voldemort himself was visiting. If that wasn't enough for his poor heart a voice sounded from behind him.

"Good morning Sirius." He turned on the spot and his eyes widened slightly when he realised that it was Harry that was sitting at the long table with a cup of steaming tea.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" For a second, just a short moment he thought that he would get an answer but his hopes died as quickly as they rose. His godson stayed quiet, eyes straight ahead like he always did. Perhaps it was just a stupid question? Harry had left his room before, he explored the house and silently helped around but this was totally new. The talks they shared every day never lasted long and were always quite one sided but a week ago he realized that he did answer the most 'important' questions; as if he could feel the need for answers.

Kreacher popped over and placed a tray with a full breakfast in front of Harry, who slowly began to eat. By now Sirius moved to a seat opposite of Harry and observed. Finally he came up with what seemed to be the right question.

"How?" At this Harry looked up, and blinked once, before lifting up one of his arms; the same arm that bore the scar marking the place where Voldemort stole his blood, the arm which now was marked with the mark of a death eater. Sirius started to feel sick as realisation had dawned on him. Of course Kreacher would serve someone who he thought was serving the dark wizard. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before standing up to make some tea for himself. There was nothing he could do and there were more important matters to attend to... like the Order. They had to meet Harry sooner or later.

-x-x-x-x-

"I think I may have found a solution, however temporary it might be, to Harry's illness." Dumbledore said as he watched as Sirius tended to Buckbeak, feeding him ferrets and brushing away some of the straw the creature slept on.

"Illness? That means that there is a cure right? That you can help him?!" The older wizard moved his eyes to the floor and shook his head.

"Extended and repeated exposure to the cruciatus curse can break a person, physically and mentally. That is what happened to Alice and Frank that Halloween night and that is what I believe to have happened to Harry." Sirius stroke Buckbeak's feathery head a few times and took in a shaky breath. "I will be taking him with me to Hogwarts tonight. If what I have in mind works we will work out how often we have to repeat the procedure." All Sirius could do was nod and hope, hope that whatever the aged headmaster was going to do would work.

-x-x-x-x-

As soon as they emerged from Fawkes' flames in the headmaster's office Harry clutched the arm, his eyes only slightly wider than normal. Albus quickly realized his mistake in the choice of transport.

"I am so sorry Harry; I didn't know that contact with Fawkes would hurt you." In truth he very well knew that the tears of a phoenix would try to cure anything that was hurting the person taking them and that the song of a phoenix stroke fear into those who held darkness within their heart. He had only hoped that Harry would have been fine. Now some of his deepest fears have been confirmed but he could not let those stop him from doing the right thing. "Sit down for now and I will bring Hat to you, I'm sure he will love hearing from you again." Harry nodded lightly and sat down in the large chair which seemed to have been prepared just for this occasion. Looking around the office he found shelves stacked with seemingly random magical widgets, a large and heavily decorated desk and a silver stand which was occupied by the phoenix, apparently called Fawkes. Suddenly his vision was plunged into darkness and a voice echoed in his mind.

"Hmh, well hello there Mr. Potter. I did not think we would ever meet again and I have to say that, now more than ever, I regret putting you in Gryffindor..." The voice died down for a moment before it resumed with a slow sigh. "...Slytherin could have made you great. Perhaps great enough to have allowed you to escape from that graveyard... but reminiscing the past is not my purpose here tonight. Albus has asked me to search your mind for things that you have forgotten and help you remember them." Before Harry was even able to fully comprehend the words he felt something gently 'push' into his mind. Slowly his eyes closed and his arms relaxed. Images that seemed entirely foreign yet felt so familiar flashed in the front of his mind. They started getting clearer and clearer until finally one could call them by what they really were, memories.

After what felt like just minutes someone lifted the Hat off his head and his eyes were assaulted by the incredibly bright light coming from the multiple torches and candles.

"Harry. I need you to answer a question for me. Do you know who I am?" After Harry gave Dumbledore a short and stiff nod the old wizard smiled wildly and quickly led Harry over to a stone basin that looked like it was filled a silvery vapour. "Harry, you have used this before but I believe it would be for the best if I explained again. This item is a..."

"Pensieve. It is used to review memories..." Harry finished with an even voice, his eyes never leaving the silvery substance held within the bowl. Dumbledore smiled widened even more and he grasped the boy's shoulder, whether to reassure him or himself he was not sure.

"Yes. I have prepared it for you to use. In a moment I will show you how to get the memories from your mind and preserve them for viewing so that whenever you forget you can remember it all over again."

-x-x-x-x-

His hand slid down into the pocket of his pants once again and clutched the wand once again just to make sure it is still there. It took Dumbledore a few hours to teach him how to handle and preserve the memories for repeated views and to do that he needed to have his wand back with him. To some it was just a piece of wood or a tool but he did not feel complete without it even if in the end he felt very little about anything.

He continued to stroll through the room until he found himself standing in front of a curtain. Something in him urged him to pull it open and when he finally did there was no mistake in what it was. The Mirror of Erised, an object that was one of the few things that left a very clear and noticeable mark in his memory.

Dumbledore's voice jerked him out of the trance he had entered when staring into the mirror. The hazy figure of a woman with long flowing hair did not leave his thoughts for days afterwards.


End file.
